


Inkwell Isle's Thank-You Project!

by cottoncandyfacade



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: A whole lot of hypno hijinx, Brainwashing, Cuphead and Mugman on another adventure, Fluff, Good End, Hypno eyes, Hypnosis, I think I have a plant fetish, Kaa like hypnosis, Maybe - Freeform, Mind Break, Mind Manipulation, No Smut, No one gets hurt, No pairings - Freeform, Pollen, Pollen stuff???, RP turned fanfic, Root Pack - Freeform, Takes place after the boys save the Isle, This is literally just hypnotism, lots and lots of it, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 07:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottoncandyfacade/pseuds/cottoncandyfacade
Summary: Cuphead and Mugman have worked hard to help bring the Isles back to their former glory. As such, many of the former villians feel the need to help their heroes kick back and relax with the help of their abilities. Join Cuphead and Mugman as they go and do stuff! Whatever they were supposed to be doing! They honestly forget every time they spend another hour with their friends.





	1. Psycarrot

**Author's Note:**

> A Cuphead RP turned Fanfic!
> 
> Featuring,
> 
> Nummy (that's me!) as: Mugman, Psycarrot, Weepy, Cagney Carnation
> 
> And
> 
> Syd as: Cuphead, Moe Tato, Hilda Berg
> 
> With
> 
> Brainwashing, colorful eyes, pollen, sparkling stars and good old fashioned hypnotism, 
> 
> It's the one and only, 
> 
> Inkwell Isle's Thank-You Project!
> 
> (And yes, I'll update this with every new chapter and RP update!)

It was a normal day in the Inkwell Isles. The birds were chirping, the waves were crashing gently across the shore, the residents were bright and cheerful. Not to mention, the weather looked absolutely great. It was a somewhat cloudy day, making the temperature nice and cool, rather than the heat of a constantly bright, sunny day.

Cuphead and Mugman, who were both treated as wonderous heroes by the residents of the isle for destroying the many soul contracts, had been invited on this particular day to many of their enemies turned friends' homes to help out with fun little projects they had all apparently prepared for them. It was a nice change, seeing them go out of their way to invite them to things rather than pummel them to prevent them getting ahold of their contracts.

Cuphead was the first to leave Elder Kettle’s cottage, the youth looking back as he waited for Mugman to catch up. He wasn’t particularly excited about going out, mainly because they had to go visit the Root Pack first. They were probably going to make them do something boring, like water plants or pull weeds as their “fun project.”

The cup sighed, waiting for a moment before he cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting out to his brother, who was still inside. “Come on Mugs, we’re gonna be late!”

"Mmhmphmphmm!" Mugman responded, a sandwich in his mouth as he raced down, wearing the backpack he'd purchased not long ago. Once he ran down the stairs and out the door, he took the sandwich out of his mouth, losing the door behind him. "I packed us lunches and stuff, Cups! You always forget them and it's been awfully hot lately so, I had to! Waters and PB & Js. Alright, now we can head to the Root Pack's and not have to eat whatever they make at the farm! As uh. Healthy as it is." He looked away, not wanting to speak ill of the gang or their nutritious, albeit dirt filled offerings. "Do you know what they want us there for today? Other than company, of course." 

“They’re probably gonna make us help them with their garden.” Cuphead snorted, kicking at a little pebble underfoot as they began to make their way down the road, gradually making their way to the wooden bridge that would lead them to the other side of the first isle. “You know, pull weeds? Water carrots? That sort of boring stuff.”

"I know, I know, I just thought we would have gotten something a little more...pleasant. I kinda hate getting overheated and sour headed every time we go to their place." Mugman pouted a little as they walked, genuinely frustrated at the thought of spending the day under the hot sun while all the milk in his head curdled under the heat. Although it was a last resort in terms of survival and if he drank it all he wouldn't survive, Mugs had always preferred his sweet drink over anything else. Which was odd to literally everyone they knew but who were three headed dragons and giant flowers to judge? "I hope they have us do something inside of the barn today. Not that I mind working outside but I'd prefer it." He really did mind it.

“Me too.” Cuphead sighed, his gloved hands absently moving behind his head, the bendy straw rolling a bit in his cup. “Hey, maybe they’ll have lemonade? That would be a nice treat.” He hummed, trying to think of something to look forward to.

"Mhmm!" Mugs agreed, perking up then and there. "I love their lemonade! Even if it has a little dirt in it, it's okay! And it means being able to stay in the shade. Maybe if it's just picking off bugs, we can shoot'em like last time! That was fun!" He jumped up, pretending to shoot before he stopped, frowning. 

Cuphead immediately picked up Mugman’s sudden discomfort, the youth frowning as he paused in his walk, looking to his brother. “… You okay? You look like something’s bugging you.”

Mugman blinked a few times before he gave Cuphead a little smile. "No! Er, yes? I was just thinking it would be nice if I could stop having my mind on that thing we did." He was referencing to the whole getting back contracts from the Devil thing from not-too long ago. "I'd love to have something to take my mind off of it. Helping everybody is nice and all but it always reminds me we fought 'em and stuff." He pulled on his straw, taking a long sip of his drink. 

Cuphead nodded thoughtfully, before giving his brother a shrug. He put an arm around Mugman, starting to walk again as he spoke. “Hey, maybe helping out the Root Pack can take your mind off of it? Elder Kettle always says that working is a good way to think things through.”

Mugman nodded, nuzzling his brother and let go of his straw, putting on his happy face. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right! Working'll do me wonders. Doesn't it bother you though?" He inquired, curious to know if his brother was just as anxious over it as he was.

“Honestly? Not really.” Cuphead admitted with a small shrug. “It was kind of rough while we were doing it, sure, but we fixed it in the end, didn’t we? Plus, now everybody loves us! It’s really nice.” He hummed without a care in the world. 

"Lucky you." Mugman pouted again before he saw the Root Pack's property, putting on his nicest smile. "I'm so glad they got their farm back together for the most part! With a little of our help, of course."

They both slowly started to near the picket fence that surrounded the farm the Root Pack owned. Even from here, they could see one of the Root Pack tending their many crops.

“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty good for them.” Cuphead sighed as they neared the entrance, opening the gate somewhat begrudgingly. “... They do have some nice carrots, even if they’re a little dirty.”

"Carrots are naturally dirty, Cuphead. They just have to get more clean water for them." Mugman shrugged, just as unenthusiastic as his brother. It kind of sucked to do chores even for an hour but he was resigned to it at this point. 

Cuphead just sighed and trudged inside, doing his best to put on a fake, cheerful smile. It might actually be kind of convincing, if it weren’t for the conflicting, unhappy body language.

"Ah, Cuphead! Mugman!" Psycarrot was the one to greet them, his form towering above the both of them. "I'm so glad to see the both you here! The other two are out right now so, it'll just be the three of us." He explained, a surprisingly friendly expression on his face, considering he often had a nasty temper. "Do you either of you mind working in the barn?"

Cuphead sighed in relief, glad that they wouldn’t have to work outside. Even if it was a nice day out, it was still unpleasantly humid. “Not at all!” He chirped, rocking on his feet a bit. “What do you want us to do? In the barn, I mean.”

"Clean vegetables inside." Psycarrot explained with a smile, his thumb jerked towards the object. "Though I'll have to show you how to properly clean the skinned potatoes, it'll be pretty easy." 

Mugman grinned, nodding happily. "Yes please! That does sound easy!" It was a task they could probably finish in no time at all without having to worry about being overheated all freaking day. 

Cuphead nodded, giving Mugman a little grin as he started making his way to the barn, waving one gloved hand in the air. “Can do!” He chirped.

Mugman followed suit, walking up to the large wooden barn and setting his backpack down on the side of it. It wasn't very well lit, seeing as they used old lanterns and little natural light seeped in but it wasn't too dim. Just bright enough for most people to make out shapes within the dark. "It smells clean in here! Er. I mean. That sounds weird but I kind of like how calm the barn is." 

"It's alright! I know what you mean. Now, I set up those chairs for you two to sit on, feel free to relax on 'em." Psycarrot motioned to the furniture, moving through the ground with an odd amount of ease. "Once you've sat down, I'll show you how to tend to these potatoes." 

Cuphead immediately plopped down onto the nearest chair, the liquid in his head sloshing around a bit from the movement. Once he was comfortable, he glanced around, looking for the supposed potatoes they had to clean. “Jeez, it’s so dark in here, I can’t see anything.” He murmured, turning to their much larger friend. “Hey Psycarrot, where are those potatoes??”

Instead of answering the question, Psycarrot helped sit a struggling Mugman down as well. "Sorry to bring this up but I couldn't help but overhear your earlier conversation. You two have done a lot for Inkwell and everyone's been working you ragged to help rebuild because of our mistakes. So, a few of us have come together to help you two relax for once." 

"Um...relax?" Mugman rose an eyebrow, perplexed by this. It had really come out of left field, especially since none of them had been too keen on having the brothers relax. Quite the opposite, actually. 

Cuphead tensed at that, shifting uncomfortably. “Wait… h-how much of our conversation did you hear??” He stammered, worried that Psycarrot had heard him and Mugman complaining about how boring the farm was.

"Enough, Cuphead. And it's fine, I'm not expecting every second of farm work to be a blast to you two. That's what we have today for." Psycarrot held up a finger in an educational manner before he lifted it up to his head, pointing to where his brain would be. "Now, do either of you have any theories as to what I'm going to do?"

“Uh… I don’t know??” Cuphead replied with clear confusion, shrugging. “Are you gonna read our minds? Or, uh, something like that??”

"You know, I saw a program on the television once," Mugman began, hesitant but loud enough to be heard by them both. "This guy on stage used something called hypnotism! And he made people all sleep...y..." He started to trail off seeing the colorful rings of orange, white and now a very pretty amber thrown into the mix. "Eee..." 

Cuphead was looking at Mugman as he spoke, only looking toward Psycarrot once he noticed that that was where his brother was looking. His eyes widened, the cup staring at the colors in slight fascination. “Whoa… H-How are you…?”

"You two were so focused during the fight, you didn't notice these before, did you?" Psycarrot pointed at his eyes before he used his hands, slowly tilting their chins up to get a better look. "Don't worry. You can look at them now."

Cuphead was left nearly speechless as his head was carefully lifted closer to those gorgeous oranges and white, his gaze locked onto Psycarrot’s eyes. “It’s so…pretty...” He gawked, astonished by the display. 

"Why, thank you!" Psycarrot kept his hands there, letting the two of them lose themselves in his eyes. "I want you to keep focusing on them, completely melting into them and letting your worries go. Don't think. Just colors. Juuuust relaaaaaax."

It didn’t take much convincing on the large carrot’s part. Cuphead went completely limp as he stared at the colors, relaxing as the hue started to reflect in his own eyes. “Hmm…”

Mugman's eyes were pulsing at a dizzying pace, the colors being the only thing that stuck out in the darkness. His head swam and a light amount of liquid poured out of his head as he tilted it. "Hh..." 

"Much better. Now, I want you two to do whatever I say and as for now, I want you to follow me." Psycarrot instructed, watching both of them carefully. "Do you understand?"

It took a moment to process, but Cuphead eventually bobbed his head in response, a the liquid in his head sloshing about from the movement. “Mhm… Understand…” He hummed, eyes pulsing endlessly.

"Underssstand!" Mugman managed to slur, not minding when he was picked up and not at all noticing his brother being picked up either. 

"Never mind. Neither of you are in any shape to walk. That's alright, lemme carry you where you need to go." Psycarrot scoffed a little, holding the two like dolls as he moved. "Now, stay still and try not to let all the liquid slosh out. I only have you for an hour so I don't want to hand either of you off devoid of any liquid. Where does that come from anyways?" The question was rhetorical but as he left the barn with the two in his hands, he pondered it, unaware that they generated it on their own, albeit slowly.

Cuphead purred as Psycarrot picked up both him and his brother, the cup unconsciously making sure not to let the liquid spill out of his head. “I’mmm not sure... It’s just kinda... There...” He hummed in response, tilting his head a little. He was completely unaware of his surroundings, focused only on the thought of the gorgeous colors.

"Mhmm!" Mugman slurred as he attempted to agree, entirely unfocused on the current events transpiring as he was moved to the nearby greenhouse with Cuphead. "It justtt appears..." 

"Hm, that's interesting." Psycarrot hummed, slowly transporting them into the building. "You two enjoying the colors I gave you?" He couldn't help but be smug, feeding both of them a few more colors at that. 

“Mmm, yeaaahhh...” Cuphead hummed, practically swooning as they were moved into the new building. “They’re really puuurty...~”

Psycarrot laughed a little at their responses, setting them both down on the ground and onto a flower bed. "There we go. You two look exceptionally cute right now. I hope you enjoy the flowers, they'll help soothe you some more." He laughed a little, gently tipping their heads together with a little clink. 

"Smellsss nice..." Mugman drooled, his eyes dipping some as he giggled, his mind completely going down the drain. He hardly registered his brother being right next to him while he sat there.

Cuphead giggled as well, his head lolling about and the bendy straw swirling around a bit. “Reeeaally soft too...~” He purred, practically nuzzling the flowers around him, letting out a completely content, breathy sigh. 

"Go ahead and breathe it in. Let yourself be lost in the garden, become a part of it." Psycarrot pulled out a watering can. "Just sit there and relax while I do some tending. If you need more colors, go ahead and ask." 

"Neeeeed colors." Mugman piped up right away, his head tilting up slightly to plead for more of them. He honestly couldn't get enough at this point, never wanting this to end. 

“Yeeeah, colors...” Cuphead chimed in, sitting up slightly as he giggled. “Like colors...” The colors in his eyes quickened their pace briefly as he went under a little more. 

Psycarrot paused from picking up a nearby can of water, going back to the two of them and feeding them more colors. "Awww, how could I say no to those cute faces? The answer really is that I can't. If you really like these colors, I can show them to you all the time. I wouldn't mind." 

Mugman quickly drowned in his stare, moving his head adorably as he did so. "Mmnnn, yesss pleeeease!" He loved the idea of being able to feel so mindless all the time, of getting an endless supply of colors. 

Cuphead let out a happy little squeal which quickly devolved into a series of giggles, completely losing himself in the colors once again. “C-Colors...~” 

"What a cute couple'a sprouts you make!" Psycarrot gave them both gentle pats, leaning down to expose them to a few more rings of color until he blinked back to his normal stare and turned away. "Alright, let me finish this row of the flowerbed and then I can give you more. In the meantime, relax, talk to each other or somethin. I'll give you colors if you need them as badly as these flowers need the water." 

Mugman nodded in comprehension, letting out a small whimper of disappointment before he went slack against his brother. "Colors are nicccccce..." He commented, unable to think about anything else. 

Cuphead let out a little whine when the colors went away but it didn’t take long for him to just mindlessly slump against Mugman, eyes swirling away. “Mmm, yeeeah... Like the colors...”

"Whhhat were we hereee for in the firssst place?" Mugman turned to his brother, raising an eyebrow with colors swimming in his eyes until he made a discovery. "Ohhh! You have colorsss too!"

“I doooo??” Cuphead questioned, lazily looking towards his brother. His eyes widened in realization, the youth pointing towards Mugman’s eyes. “Heeeey, you’ve got colorsss too...!”

Mugman gasped in amazement, leaning forward so their foreheads touched with another little *clink!*. "They're prettyyyy juuuust like Carrrot's colors!! Not as bright buut pretttyyyy!"

“Mmm, ssso are yours!” Cuphead chimed, giggling as he absently nuzzled Mugman, the straw on his head moving about with the gentle, affectionate movements. “I jusssst wanna stare at them ffforever and ever...~”

Mugman's straw slowly slid forward with his head, drool seeping from the side of his mouth. "Mmmmee too! Nooothininnnnn else, juuuust colors..." He giggled, remembering the words from earlier. 

“Yeeeaaahhh, juuuust colors...” Cuphead echoed, giggling before he fell quiet, simply staring at the colors in Mugman’s eyes with a big, empty grin, a bit of clueless drool dripping from his mouth. 

"Oh?" Psycarrot reproached them, noticing the both of them being absolutely entranced. "Are you two having fun?" 

Mugman giggled, turning to the carrot. "I cahhhhn't thinkkkk..." He hiccuped a little, his head tilting to the side again. "My brainnnnn is emptyyyy..."

“Juuuusst colors...~” Cuphead added, as if it was meant to help. He purred, letting out a giggle as a few bubbles formed in his head, similar to how a child would blow bubbles into their milk. 

"Just colors, hm?" Psycarrot laughed, taking their heads to tilt them towards his eyes again. "Just these colors? No other colors? You like these ones the absolute most?" 

Mugman nodded, snickering emptily as he leaned forward. "Those are my faaaaavorite! Moreee of those, p-pleeeease, Mister!" He begged, his colorful eyes crossing momentarily before he blinked and had them face Psycarrot's again, regaining his concentration. 

“Mhmm!” Cuphead snickered alongside his brother, the colors in his eyes speeding up as he refocused on the large carrot’s eyes. “They’re the beeeeest...”

Psycarrot lifted the two of them up again, now cradling them in his arms. "Now, I should tend to the flowers some more buuuuut since you two are so irresistible..." 

"Psycarrot!" 

The carrot jumped lightly in place, making the liquid in the boy's cups slosh around from his abrupt jostling. "Oh! You're back." 

"Yep. And your hour's up! Carnation wants a turn with 'em." Moe Tato crossed his arms in expectation, knowing it might not be easy for his brother to let the two of them go once he'd gotten started.

Cuphead let out a confused sound as he was moved about, his swirling eyes glancing towards Moe Tato. “Hmm...??”

Weepy made a sound of agreement, his eyes lighting up at the duo. "Y-You did the thing that helps me sleep!" He rushed over, Moe unable to stop him as he scooped up the cups from Psy's hold, staring at them in fascination. 

"Yes, I did." Psycarrot nodded in agreement, begrudgingly letting them go. "Cuphead, Mugman, wake up on the snap, letting the colors out of your mind." He then snapped abruptly, not-so-secretly annoyed by how his turn ended already. 

Cuphead jolted at the snap, the colors fleeing from his eyes as his consciousness came back almost immediately. He blinked, sitting up in Weepy’s arms as he looked about. “Huh? What-?” 

Mugman whined for a minute until he blinked hard, shifting a little and rubbing his eyes. "Huh? Weepy? How'd we get here? Cuphead, what's goin on?" 

“I-I don’t know??” Cuphead murmured, looking around at everyone in frantic confusion. “Weren’t we just in the barn? How did we-?”

“Don’t worry, Psy just helped you two relax for a bit.” Moe explained, carefully picking up Mugman and setting him on the ground. 

"It's alright! When I have n-n-nightmares, he always does that for me! No harm, no foul." Weepy assured, putting Cuphead on the ground and trying to keep him balanced. "You two are okay, r-right?" 

"Mhmm!" Mugman nodded, his mind devoid of any worry at all. Even without his memories, something in him felt so soothed and trusting of their friends. 

Cuphead wobbled a bit as he stepped down to the ground, a few drops of liquid dripping out of his head. He caught himself, steadying his position while looking up at the others. He felt... Oddly relaxed, despite the worries that had sprung up from the sudden change in scenery. “Uh, y-yeah? We’re fine!” Cuphead said dismissively as he moved closer to Mugman, making sure he was okay. 

“You sure?” Moe Tato asked, a hand resting at his base quizzically. “You look a little frazzled...” He analyzed them carefully, not wanting either of them to be chipped or bruised. He knew Psycarrot wasn't the most gentle of creatures sometimes. 

Mugman nodded, a happy smile on his face. All those nasty stresses from before were all gone! And he couldn't have been happier about it. "Absolutely! What was this about Carnation?" 

"Oh! Well, h-he wanted to invite you two for an hour to his flowerbed as well! You guys s-smell like flowers. Were you in ours?" Weepy asked, his head moving again curiously. 

"Were we?" Mugman questioned aloud, puzzled as to what exactly had gone on. 

“I think so...?” Cuphead murmured, one hand absently rubbing the side of his ceramic head. “It’s kind of fuzzy...”

Moe sighed, absently glancing towards the sun through the glass of the greenhouse. “Oh jeez, look at the time. I think you two ought to start heading over. Don’t want Cagney to think we’re hogging all the time folks want to spend with you.” The potato reasoned, gently reaching behind and giving the two cup brothers the gentlest of nudges. 

Psycarrot let out a small and rather jealous huff. "Go ahead. He'll have more of what you want. But you're welcome to come here and get more anytime." The assurance was there, even when he dismissed them with a wave. 

Mugman perked up at once, grabbing Cuphead's hand and running out. "Bye guys! We'll be back around here real soon!" That was a promise in Mugman's book. He'd even come here alone if he had to, something about those colors intrigued him immensely. 

Cuphead stumbled behind Mugman as he hurried out of the greenhouse, looking back at the Root Pack as they each waved goodbye to the two of them.

Once they were a good distance away, Cuphead let himself look towards Mugman, letting out a worried sound. “Uh... What was that all about??” 

"What was what all about?" Mugman echoed in a cheerful manner, moving at a brisk, excited pace. "Easy Cup, we gotta go see Cagney! No big deal!"

“Mnn. I donno. It just seems like they’re acting... kinda weird.” Cuphead murmured, looking back at the shrinking greenhouse for a moment. He sighed, shaking his head. “Was any of that weird to you? Cause it felt weird to me.”

"It didn't feel weird to me!" Mugman shook his head, a smile on his face. "I just feel great, like you said I would! I guess we must have worked. I kinda feel that nice tiredness after hard work but without the achyness on top. But I'm sure the Root Pack didn't do anything weird! Maybe? Who cares?" He giggled, letting go of Cuphead's hand and deciding running up ahead a smidge.

Cuphead sighed, watching Mugman run up ahead for a bit, thinking to himself. Sure, it felt nice, but a part of him still felt uncomfortable with the situation. He couldn’t remember anything about what happened, just a vague floaty feeling. He eventually shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it as he picked up his pace, jogging to catch up with Mugs.


	2. Cagney Carnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Cagney's turn to help soothe his little buddies! Cuphead and Mugman start making up their minds about how they feel about their minds being made up for them.

Mugman ran past several stops and saw a few blooming flowers, eyes wide in fascination. "Ohhh, these are really pretty!" He gasped, unable to keep his eyes off of them. 

"Thank you!" Cagney smiled, a few of his vines looping slowly around the cup brothers as he appeared. "My little buds have bloomed nicely this Spring. Do you like them? I'm rather proud, myself." 

Cuphead nearly fell over as the vines popped up around him, letting out a yelp as he glared at the flower. “Hey, watch it Cagney! You gotta warn us before you do that!” He exclaimed with a huff, trying to pry off the vines. “You’re gonna end up chipping one of us someday, I swear-“

"Cuphead! Be nice." Mugman snapped at his sibling, letting the vines wrap around him and noticing his new pattern of pink flowers on his vines. They were just like the ones he'd seen along the way, save for the fact that they were shut. "Oh, Cagney! These are beautiful!" 

"I appreciate it, Mugman. I'm sure Psycarrot showed you something moderately impressive? He said you'd understand if I did something to that effect." Cagney hummed, continuing to lazily wrap around Cuphead, even while he squirmed. 

Cuphead huffed, eventually stopping his struggles. He instead sat down grumpily letting the vines wrap around him. There was no stopping Cagney once he made up his mind on what to do, so the cup decided just to go with it for now. 

Cagney tangled the two up, gliding effortlessly the rest of the way to the garden. "Cuphead? Do you have cotton in your ears or did you not hear me ask what had gone on at the barn?" He asked, still as sickly sweet as he ever was. The flower was aware that Cuphead seemed to have a bit of a grudge against him, for some reason. Probably had nothing to do with the many times he'd kicked his ass when they fought. Probably. 

Cuphead sighed, shaking his head before speaking. “I don’t remember, okay? We were in the barn one minute, then there were some colors, and then the next minute we were in the greenhouse.” He explained, trying to cross his arms, but Cagney’s vines made it pretty difficult to do so. “...Uh, Cagney? Can you let up a bit? I can’t move.”

"You'll fall if I make them too loose." Cagney hummed, finally settling into his all natural flowerbed and showing his closed flowers closer to their faces. Suddenly they opened and sprayed some sort of yellow substance in their faces. 

Mugman coughed hard, shaking his head before he blinked sluggishly, his mind feeling fuzzy. "Huhhh? Whasss that sweet smell?" He asked no one in particulat, his eyes fluttering from the sudden hit. 

Cuphead spluttered, coughing as the pollen sprayed out from the flowers. It was thick and heavy, but also had a sweet smell that quickly caught the brothers’ interest. “Jeez, you could warn us before doing something like that, you know.” He murmured, his own thoughts getting a little more fuzzy the longer he breathed in the sickly sweet smell. 

The pollen was slowly released more, the sweet scent swirling around the both of them as the amount only increased by the second. Other flowers opened up to decorate the duo in more pollen and already open ones had plenty to give. 

Mugman smiled, not minding that there were several flowers spraying around them, the pretty pink petals catching his eye. "Mmm, don't complain, Cuphead~ This is really, really nice." The mug mused, a giggle bubbling up from his throat. 

Cuphead wanted to say a witty remark in reply but felt the words die out as he took another deep breath of the pollen that was all around them. “Mmm... I guess it is kinda nice...” he murmured somewhat begrudgingly. 

Mugman sighed, going limp once again and not minding the several petals falling into his head. "It's so sweet! I love, love, love it! Mmmm, what's this sweet stuff?" His body couldn't get enough, especially since it was infecting his liquid now. 

"It's pollen! I make it during the Spring. Go ahead and breathe in as much as you'd like." Cagney purred, his leaves tapping the tip of their straws. "It'll help you relax if you let it into your system."

“It smells nice...” Cuphead said simply, his grumpy expression having melted away a long time ago. He took another deep breath, practically falling limp from the wonderful feeling of complete relaxation. “How... How much pollen can you make?” He asked softly, genuinely curious.

"Enough for meadows and meadows! I do tend to most of the flowers here in Inkwell. We had such a nice Spring that I haven't had to do much and ever since you boys took care of that contract business, the bees have done more of their share of the work again. Which means I could share some with the two of you! You do already smell a tad bit like flowers today." Cagney giggled, positioning them upright and bringing them a little closer. 

"This pollennn stuff is good!" Mugman agreed, yawning as he felt the combination of shade and the bits of sun peeking through. "Flower stuff is good...~"

Cuphead’s head bobbed a little, a lazy feeling of sleepiness coming over him. He moved his head to one side, his head gently clinking against Mugman's. “Mmm, Yeah... Good flowers...” He mumbled, yawning. “I... I think I like flowers... They’re nice...”

"You two are too cute! You'd make perfect flowers!" Cagney praised, making little pink flower crowns around their heads and having them spray pollen. It almost looked like fairy dust sprinkling down their bodies, filling the air with it's scent. 

Mugman grinned lazily, his eyes drooping some. "Cuuute? Cute flowers? Ohh..." He turned to Cuphead in his blissful haze. "C-Cuppy? Did you know we're cute flowers?" 

“Cute... Flowers??” Cuphead murmured in dazed confusion as the crown was gently set on the top of his head. He yawned again, finding all of his surroundings more than relaxing. “Mmm... I thought we were cups...”

"Well, you're saplings right now." Cagney explained, letting some more pollen rain down. "You've got no concerns, no worries. All you have to do is let me take care of you! Like all the other flowers in my garden." 

"That sounds so nice~" Mugman nuzzled his brother, his mind having gone absolutely blank. He could barely even remember their names, let alone that they'd come here for something non-pollen related. 

“Yeah... Nice...” Cuphead agreed, absently nuzzling Mugman in return as he eyes slowly slipped shut. “I’m gonna be... A real good sapling...” He yawned, so out of it that he was completely unaware of what he was saying, honestly believing every word Cagney told them.

Mugman yawned as well, starting to doze off. "Mmmnn, night...~" He spoke under his breath, his voice drifting off as he happily fell asleep with his brother. 

Cuphead fell asleep soon after, snoring softly under the shade of the trees. He was completely unaware of his surroundings at this point, content to sleep as Cagney watched over them. 

"Too bad I only get you two for an hour. I could make you such cute little flowers." Cagney pouted, letting them rest as he thought about the others who wanted a turn. He could always get another shot later on, make the two of them a more permanent part of his garden. They'd be suited to it for sure. 

Once the hour was up, Cagney awoke them with care, shifting his vines. The both of them were covered in petals, flowers and pollen at this point, more having come along while they slept. "Wake up, saplings! You two look ready to bloom." Cagney grinned, the huge flower enjoying their new appearances, convincing himself they had to do this more often. 

Mugman yawned, raising up slightly as he was still cocooned in leaves and vines. "Mm, did I fall asleep...?" He whispered, his mind still lost in the decadent, fragranced fog it had been put into. 

Cuphead continued to sleep for awhile, waking up a few minutes after his brother. He groaned, slowly sitting up from his position, a few flowers fluttering off of his head and onto the ground. “Ngh... What...?”

"You two have been sleeping for a whole hour!" Cagney explained, slowly unwinding his vines down onto the grassy floor. "You've probably made honey in those heads of yours." 

Mugman moved around on his feet sloppily, looking confused but pleased still. "That was a reeeeeally nice nap...~"

Cuphead yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “That... Yeah, that was a really good nap...” He admitted softly. “I haven’t slept that well in ages, wow.”

"I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves. You two made wonderful saplings. And I've heard it helps to sleep when you don't have anything to worry about." Cagney hummed, patting his little cups. 

Mugman smiled, putting his hand onto a nearby tree. "Mm, I'd love to do that again..."

“Yeah... Me too.” Cuphead murmured, flushing as he crossed his arms, grumpily staring down at the floor. “It’s... Honestly really nice to not have to worry about stuff.”

Carnation was a tad surprised to see Cuphead admit it but after a bonding moment like that, he wasn't too shocked. "Hurry off to Hilda now! She's waiting for you!" Cagney gave them a gentle shove in the right direction. "And should you ever want to be little flowers blooming with nary a worry once more, feel free to come by!"

“Mmm, Yeah... Sure thing.” Cuphead said dazedly, yawning as he started wandering in the direction Cagney pushed him towards, without really altering his course. It seemed that he was still a little out of it.

He didn’t have to wander far though, before a cloud started lowering itself from the sky, gently floating above the ground just in front of Cagney’s garden. Hilda was seated on top of it, having come to Cagney’s part of the isle to pick up the cup brothers. She grinned, waving to Cagney and the boys. “Yoo-hoo! Over here you guys!” She chimed, waving at all of them. 

Mugman veered off course and in the entirely wrong direction, some pollen coated liquid dripping out of his head until he noticed Hilda, looking up at her nonchalantly. "Hiiii, Hilda! Did you know me and Cuphead are actually flowers?" 

Cagney quickly scooted over to the duo, plucking the crowns off their heads and laughing half heartedly. "They're all ready for you, Hilda! They've just been in the flower field for awhile."

“I thought we were saplings...” Cuphead murmured, rubbing at one of his eyes as he moved alongside his brother. 

“Oh, are you now?” Hilda said with a snort, carefully reaching down and lifting the mug onto her cloud, sitting him down onto its soft, pillow-like surface. She then lifted Cuphead up right afterwards, humming pleasantly. “I trust that Cagney’s been treating you two well?”

"Mhmmm! Real well!" Mugman nodded in agreement as he laid onto the cloud, snuggling into it. "We became a part of a garden twice today, I think! I feel like a plant. I like being a plant."

“It’s really relaxing...” Cuphead agreed, swaying in place a bit as he sat down on the cloud. “Being a plant is nice...”

Hilda chuckled, rolling her eyes. She looked to Cagney, playfully giving him a little wave as the cloud started lifting into the air, carrying the three of them to her home. “Well, now that you’ve experienced “being a plant,” I think it’s time you found out what it’s like being amongst the stars.”

Cagney gave her the friendliest wave he could manage, wanting to snatch the sweet buds she was flying off with. "I'll see you around!" He cheerfully waved still, ready to turn around and have a mini temper tantrum. 

Mugman raised an eyebrow, sitting up and staring at her in confusion. "Huhh? The stars? Aren't they super, duper far away without a plane?" He asked, having forgotten his high flying adventures for the moment. 

Just before she was out of sight of the flower, she reached over the side of the cloud and subtly flipped him off, doing it in a way that the brothers couldn’t see. The gesture more playfully rude than anything, and it could’ve easily been seen as some kind of method of flirting (in a really, really odd way.).

“Oh come on Mugs, you know those aren’t the stars I’m talking about.” She hummed, lifting her hand back up from the side of the cloud, using it to smooth our her skirt. “Although... Perhaps I could show you those stars some other day, through my telescope. That could be fun.” 

"Mhmm. But not as fun as beeeeing a plant." Mugman corrected, his pointer finger up in an educational manner before he fell back, his drink spilling onto the cloud. "Hehh, I made rain..." He clearly wasn't in an educational mindset. At least, not yet.

Hilda snorted, making sure the cups wouldn’t fall off the cloud as it floated down to the front of a building that looked like a large observatory, only slightly... homier. 

Cagney tilted his head in confusion, his gaze narrowing as sharp teeth briefly appeared. "That girl, I swear..." He then noticed he had an orange visitor, raising an eyebrow. "Psycarrot? What brings you here?"


End file.
